But it need not be so. The annual test of marital mettle or relationship resolve can still be a simple celebration of love if you stick to the tried and true treats for your significant other.
Call it the triple threat of love (or like if your relationship is still in the fledgling stage), you can’t go wrong or send an improper message by gifting flowers, chocolates or jewelry — either in combination or on their own.
And the easiest way to look like the gangster of love is to walk in the door and hand over a dozen red, long-stemmed roses (even without your Zorro mask).
They are simplicity in their beauty and symbolize love in their petals, said Catherine Manna, the head designer at Ye Olde Flower Shoppe in Trail.
“Love is like a flower and a rose really describes how beautiful that is. They have thorns and they can hurt, and love hurts at times,” she said. “It’s romantic, it sparks, it is magical. A rose makes you feel good and nobody can put a price on that.”
But the price for a dozen long-stemmed red roses — the traditional amount for Valentine’s — will run around $90, more for a proper box and other accoutrements such as wrapping.
The Shoppe goes through around 1,400 red roses for Valentine’s, with other colours on special order. Some of the other roses have a deeper meaning than red. White means purity of heart and not worthy of another’s love, but it also can mean death.
A pink rose means perfect happiness, a tea rose means ‘I’ll remember always,’ a thorn-less rose is love at first sight while rose leaf means ‘you may hope,’ and yellow is jealousy or friendship.
For those thinking ahead, a more lasting gift might be jewelry. The symbolism and lasting effect of an item such as a necklace or earrings can render the receiver speechless on the big day, said Paul Durkin, co-owner of Lauener Bros. Jewellers Ltd. in Trail.
“When people want to express love to one another … jewelry lasts,” he said. “It’s a nice luxury and it also can be a great expression of people’s feelings for each other.”
And a diamond is the one thing in the world that doesn’t wear out — a great metaphor for the strength of your love.
Durkin suggested a necklace or earrings instead of a ring, however, since then the wearer will not feel they have to wear it all of the time, and earrings express love without being high stress or high commitment.
“A ring given (for a wedding) has the intention of being worn forever, but jewelry given at Valentine’s Day is a little more fun,” he said.
And what could be more fun, and enjoyable, than receiving chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Nina Firth of Mountain Nugget Chocolate Company in Rossland said chocolates are one of the safest gifts to give since (almost) everyone enjoys them.
“It’s an offering, it’s something you take to somebody’s house when they are sick, happy or they’ve had a baby,” she said. “It’s a beautiful gift to buy somebody else that you might not buy yourself.”
The shop in Rossland has sold out its range of special Valentine’s Day chocolates for the last several years and this year is proving to be no different.
But if you’ve run out of time on the day in question and your love is on the line — and you have forgotten to plan something special for the special someone — there is one fail-safe plan, said Manna.
“As long as you come home with one red rose, you are okay,” she said.